As the process of filing nomination papers for general elections to be held in coming May continues, former president Pervez Musharraf was among a few candidates who has obtained nomination form to contest poll from NA-48.

“On a whole 24 candidates obtained nomination forms from NA-48 including former president Pervez Musharraf. While 14 candidates obtained nomination form including Dr. Shehzad Waseem of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf from NA 49 ICT 2,” sources close to the District Returning Officer told TheNation on Tuesday.

Collectively, 112 candidates have obtained nomination forms from NA-48 and NA-49 ICT. He added that most of the candidates have submitted their nomination papers.

The candidates have started submitting nomination papers; however, the big wig including Pervez Musharraf was yet to submit his nomination paper to Islamabad District Returning Officer.

The process of filing nomination papers for general election that kicked off on March 24 is continuing throughout the country. While Election commission on Thursday extended deadline of submitting nomination papers by two more days. Now, the candidates can submit their nomination papers end of this current month.

The sources from Pervez Musharraf’s party APML, the retired general who is expected to land in Islamabad on Thursday, will personally submit his nomination papers soon.

It is pertinent to mention here that according to section 12(3) of the Representation of Public Act, every nomination paper shall be delivered to the Returning Officer by the candidate in person.

However, the candidates may attend the process of scrutiny of nomination papers in their own interest but in case they prefers to remain absent, their nomination papers cannot be rejected due to their failure to appear before the Returning Officer concerned on the date of scrutiny.

Also, according to rules and regulations of Election commission of Pakistan, the candidates can file the certificate from their political parties showing their party affiliations either at the time of filing nomination papers or at the time of scrutiny or at the time of allocation of symbols on the date of withdrawal, April 14,2013, in terms of section 20A of the Act.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf finalized the list of its contesting candidates for the upcoming elections. According to a press note issued from central media cell of PTI, the names were finalized at a meeting of the parliamentary board of the party presided over by the Chairman PTI Imran Khan.